


Latte Hearts

by GhostGarrison



Category: Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age II
Genre: Alternate Universe - Food Service, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Modern with Magic, Baristas, Flirting, Gift Giving, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-03
Updated: 2017-08-03
Packaged: 2018-12-10 10:25:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,972
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11689716
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GhostGarrison/pseuds/GhostGarrison
Summary: Anders hasn't been working in the mall food court for long, but somehow the incredibly handsome barista across the way has escaped his attention. Until the man, Karl, sends him a coffee one exhausted afternoon, and they start flirting by sending each other free food.





	Latte Hearts

Anders is absolutely drained, so exhausted he can feel it even in his bones.

He only started this job a week ago, but already he’s tired of standing on his feet for such long stretches of time. Working at an ice cream stand in the mall food court isn’t his lifelong career goal, but he was fired from his previous job for being a little too vocal about the rights of mages. That wasn’t the official reason, of course. His termination letter said “repeated tardiness,” as if he was the only person in the world with a faulty car and a long commute.

Most employers are hesitant over hiring a mage, as society has deemed them “dangerous” and a liability to have in the workplace. It’s that type of everyday discrimination that just gets Anders’ blood boiling, and it made it incredibly difficult to find a job--even as a food service worker--to tide him over til the next opportunity.

Anders yawns loudly, barely covering his mouth with his hand as he does. He hasn’t been sleeping well recently, kept awake by raging thoughts of mage equality or worrying about his finances. Thankfully he’s mostly able to do his job on autopilot, as making sundaes doesn’t take a ton of mental effort on his part.

It doesn’t pay well either, but it’s all he could get, and he has bills to pay and a ravenous cat to feed.

Suddenly a delicate and well-manicured fist holding a paper cup of steaming liquid is thrust in his face. He blinks, focusing on the person who has appeared on the other side of the counter. It’s a woman, mid-fifties perhaps with blond hair, looking at him with sharp ice-blue eyes. 

When he doesn’t say anything, she clucks her tongue at him and waves the drink in front of his face again. “Um, _hello?_ It’s for you.”

His eyes dropping back to the cup of what smells like good coffee, he reaches out and carefully extracts it from her grip. “... Thanks?” No one’s ever brought him coffee before.

“It’s not from me,” the woman scoffs, rolling her eyes. “It’s from the barista over at the coffee stand. He bribed me with a free espresso shot to bring it to you.”

Just as Anders leans to the side to look over her shoulder, the barista looks in his direction. His blue eyes are framed by thick-rimmed glasses and he sports a rather impressive beard of a very unusual light brown shade. His short hair is pushed back by a blue visor hat that matches his company apron. He gives Anders a little wave and a warm smile before turning his attention back to the huge steaming machine behind the counter.

Fuck, he’s really cute. How has Anders not noticed him before?

The woman makes another annoyed noise, drawing Anders’ attention back to her.

“Thanks… for bringing it?” Anders says finally, eyes flickering once more to the man across the crowded food court.

The woman heaves her large heavy purse to the counter, knocking over his tip jar and spilling the small handful of coins across the surface. The woman doesn’t move to apologize, just instead stares at the menu overhead.

“Anyway, I’d like a large…”

Anders is glad when the woman finally leaves with her ridiculous sundae. Anders secretly hopes all the calories go wherever she doesn’t want them. He turns to the coffee cup, which has cooled considerably since he received it. He takes a careful sip of it…

… and it’s divine.

It’s nothing special, no flavoring or extra sugar and cream, but it’s just what he needed when he needed it. He finds himself perking up a little, feeling a little more bounce in each of his steps when he paces in the tiny space behind the counter. He wants to thank the barista, but he can’t leave his post since he’s the only worker.

Instead, Anders settles for observing him from afar, hoping the man will turn his gaze toward him again. Anders normally watches the people in the food court--the families with out-of-control children, the awkward teenage dates who obviously are trying to burn time before their movie begins, the people he makes up backstories for--but he can’t help it when his eyes drift toward the handsome barista.

The man seems happy, or at least has a better fake smile than Anders does. He chats easily with customers while making their drinks, and the tip jar at the corner of his counter has actual money in it, unlike Anders’ pile of useless coins.

Hours later, he finally decides he’s going to send something in return as a thanks. Looking at his freezers, Anders wonders what kind of sundae the man might like. 

Rocky Road? No. Though the chance is small, the last thing he needs is to accidentally kill the man from a nut allergy.

Chocolate? Not that either, just like Rocky Road. 

Anders settles for the safest option, filling a cup with a scoop of vanilla. He adds another for good measure, despite being restricted to one free scoop per shift. If his manager wants to fire him over a scoop of ice cream, he’ll gladly walk out and not turn back.

But, dear Maker, what if he’s lactose intolerant?

Fuck it, he thinks, pouring a storm of rainbow sprinkles over the ice cream before topping it with a swirl of whipped cream. He finishes it with a maraschino cherry, feeling satisfied with his colorful creation.

He keeps it tucked away in the corner of the freezer box until the next customer comes along. It’s a boy and his date, holding hands and a half-full bag of buttery popcorn from the cinema. He looks reluctant to play messenger until his date cheerfully answers for the both of them. “We’d love to! Who is it for?”

He gives them a free topping for their effort.

Anders watches them deliver his gift, to which the barista flashes him a bright smile as he takes it over the counter. Feeling relieved that it went over well, Anders sips at his now cold coffee, spending the rest of his shift thinking about why the man might have sent him a drink in the first place.

It’s only when he goes to throw the paper cup away that he notices the writing on the side of the cup.

_‘Looks like you might need it!’_ written in thick permanent marker, along with checkmarks on the ‘dairy’ and ‘espresso’ boxes. Anders feels a little embarrassed, now knowing that his exhaustion was so clearly visible from across the Maker-damned food court.

But even so, he is grateful.

The next day, another coffee is delivered by a teenager wearing an apron with the name of the coffee stand embroidered on the front. On the top of the latte is beautiful foam art--a rose with blossoming petals surrounding a heart-shaped center. It’s impressive and Anders can’t fathom why someone with such talent is working in a shopping mall.

Upon noticing how Anders is admiring the art, the teenage barista rolls his eyes. “Yeah, he spent way too much time on that.”

Anders’ cheeks turn pink, wondering if it means anything. He looks over at the barista, who is working with a growing line of customers. Even though he’s busy with three different drink orders set out on the counter, the man still looks up to meet Anders’ gaze.

Then he _winks._

Sweet Maker.

Anders looks away quickly, not knowing what the fuck his face is doing. The teenager has already turned to go back to his post, and Anders hesitates only for a second before speaking.

“Wait!” Anders calls and, thankfully, the kid stops and turns to him with a look of _‘what now?’_ on his face. “What’s… what’s your co-worker’s name?”

“Karl.”

“Please tell him thank you,” Anders says, before quickly adding, “from Anders.”

“Okay, I guess,” the teenager says with a shrug before walking away. 

Anders watches him return to the coffee stand, where Anders can see him telling the other barista--Karl, the name echoes in his head--what is hopefully his unabridged message of appreciation. Karl turns to him briefly and Anders’ lips turn up to smile, but before he can, the man’s attention is taken by an impatient-looking customer, gesturing angrily at her drink. Karl frowns and takes the drink back, only sparing a brief displeased glance across the food court before dealing with his unhappy customer.

Whenever their shifts overlap over the next few weeks, they send each other food and drinks. Karl continues to impress him with his latte art, using chocolate and foam to draw hearts, flowers, and webs--even a cat at Anders’ written request. Every drink is accompanied by a short message scribbled on the cup next to the ingredient boxes, getting progressively more flirtatious.

With his own offerings, Anders tries to vary what he sends since no one could eat ice cream every day and grow tired of it. At least, in his experience. Some days he sends churros, other days it’s cookies, and sometimes it’s the least-bruised banana from the banana split bin. Karl has sent back zero complaints and Anders sometimes spies him turning away from the drink counter to steal a bite or two of whatever snack he sent.

He wants to go over and thank him personally, maybe even have a chat if Karl has a break, but Anders is never so lucky. Karl either has left by the time his shift is over, or is too busy for Anders to risk looking creepy by standing in the queue just to talk to him. One day, he vows, one day he’ll talk to the man who he _hopes_ has been genuinely flirting with him for weeks.

But then he stops seeing Karl altogether.

Anders continues to come to work every day, periodically looking over at the coffee stand only to see that Karl isn’t there. He wonders if he was fired for giving out too many free drinks. Void it all, Anders has already gotten scolded by his manager for his own generosity. Not that Anders would ever stop doing it anyway.

Days later, Karl appears on the other side of the ice cream counter. He’s dressed in casual clothing, his hair naturally spiked up in the front from wearing the uniform visor for so long. He looks natural in his soft cotton shirt and relaxed jeans, smiling at him while Anders’ brain catches up on what’s happening.

“Karl,” Anders says, realizing it’s the first time he’s actually talking to the man face-to-face.

“Anders,” Karl returns and Anders already finds himself incredibly attracted to the man’s voice, his features, his _everything._

“I haven’t seen you for awhile.”

“Yeah,” Karl says, giving a one-shouldered shrug. “I found another job.”

“A better one, I hope,” Anders murmurs, more to himself than to the other man.

“Don’t worry, it is,” Karl replies, chuckling. “… So, I was wondering, when does your shift end today?”

Instinctively, Anders looks toward the large plastic clock on the wall, which says it’s not even close to when he’s off. “Six hours, I’m afraid.”

“Would you like to get dinner?”

Anders’ eyes narrow, tilting his head. “In the mall?”

“Dear Maker, no,” Karl says. “I was thinking someplace a little nicer.”

When the crests of Karl’s sharp cheekbones turn red, Anders realizes Karl is asking him out on something like a date. His heart speeds up, mouth opening and closing uselessly as he tries to think of the appropriate response. _‘Yes, you idiot! Look at him!’_ his heart sings, only slightly louder than his brain’s _‘No, this could be a disaster! You’ve only just met him!’_ He swallows, considering the best and worst case scenarios while Karl waits patiently.

“I’d love to.”

**Author's Note:**

> for two tumblr prompts: "kanders, baristas" and "karl and anders surprising each other with food"
> 
> find me there @ storybookhawke


End file.
